Australia has a proportional voting "washminster" system with two and half major parties ..
( Labor Vs. Liberal+Nationals OR (cartoonishly) "Masses" Vs Urban-Capital+Rural-LandOwners (comically grotesque oversimplification) )
There are, however, many smaller parties that a great many people vote on first in proportional run-offs.
Australians are well aware that the smaller parties often don't get a seat but they're also well aware that the voltes are tallied to reveal the issues championed by smaller parties and how the secondary preferences "run off" to the majors.
eg: (say) Labor only squeaked in ahead of the Liberals because people that care about issue {X} first then preferenced Labor second .. expecting Labor to address that issue.
Fail to address an issue and the margin votes switch secondary preferences.
( That said, a number of small parties do hold independant seats )
Much of this small party preference voting kicked off from The Australian Democrats, a centrist political party founded in 1977 with the slogan
( Labor Vs. Liberal+Nationals OR (cartoonishly) "Masses" Vs Urban-Capital+Rural-LandOwners (comically grotesque oversimplification) )
There are, however, many smaller parties that a great many people vote on first in proportional run-offs.
Australians are well aware that the smaller parties often don't get a seat but they're also well aware that the voltes are tallied to reveal the issues championed by smaller parties and how the secondary preferences "run off" to the majors.
eg: (say) Labor only squeaked in ahead of the Liberals because people that care about issue {X} first then preferenced Labor second .. expecting Labor to address that issue.
Fail to address an issue and the margin votes switch secondary preferences.
( That said, a number of small parties do hold independant seats )
Much of this small party preference voting kicked off from The Australian Democrats, a centrist political party founded in 1977 with the slogan
Keep the Bastards Honest.